Bob Berry served three seasons as head coach of the Los Angeles Kings from 1979-81. Berry ranks fifth all-time in Kings history with 107 wins and fourth all-time with a .527 winning percentage in his 240 games as the Kings boss.

Prior to joining the Kings, Berry had only 16 games coaching experience in the minor league when he was named coach of the Kings on April 21, 1978.

Berry, a native of Montreal, spent seven seasons in the NHL, all with the Kings. In his final season as a player, he took over the coaching job with the Kings’ Springfield farm club for the final 16 games. His club posted a 9-4-3 mark in that brief tenure. In his first two seasons as Kings coach, Berry’s clubs finished third and second in the Norris Division. In those two years, the Kings broke virtually every offensive club record.

Prior to deciding on a hockey career, Berry also played both football and baseball. He was offered a minor league contract as catcher with the Houston Astros. He also was offered a football scholarship to the University of Kentucky and played semi-pro football with the Quebec Rifles of the Continental League. Berry earned a liberal arts degree from Sir George Williams University in Montreal. He studied psychology and also played on the college hockey team.

He earned the nickname “Crease” as a player for his ability to hang around in front of the net and score consistently on short shots. Berry, at one time, held club records for most points (63) and assists (38) by a Kings rookie and was named Kings top rookie for the 1970-71 season. For his career, Berry appeared in 541 games, scoring 159-191=350 with 344 PIMs.

He was a member of the Canadian National Team touring Europe in 1967-68. He impressed the Montreal Canadiens, who signed him to a pro contract at age 25. After two full seasons in the minor leagues, plus a two-game stint with the Canadians, Berry was sold to the Kings on Oct. 8, 1970.

The first puck he put into an NHL net is now in the Hockey Hall of Fame. It was the first goal ever scored in the Pacific Coliseum, the one-time home of the Vancouver Canucks. Berry made his NHL debut that night with two goals.

Berry resigned as coach of the Kings following the 1980-81 season and moved on to coach the Montreal Canadiens (1981-84) and the Pittsburgh Penguins (1984-87). From 1988-92, he was an assistant coach with the St. Louis Blues before being named head coach midway through the 1992-93 season. He served two seasons at the post and then spent the 1994-96 seasons as an associate coach. Berry also served as an assistant coach with the San Jose Sharks from 1998-2000.

Berry is now a pro scout with the Kings and has also served as a pro scout for the Ottawa Senators and St. Louis Blues.